Utah Trucking Association Donates to Fallen Officers’ Families

Utah Trucking Association Members donate over $10,000 to the families of Trooper Eric Ellsworth and Officer Cody Brotherson

The Utah Trucking Association has a long-standing and beneficial relationship with law enforcement agencies and officers throughout the State of Utah. One of the association’s missions is to partner with others to ensure that Utah’s highways are safe and free of accidents, injuries and fatalities. The trucking industry represents nearly 25% of the total vehicles operating on Utah’s highways at any given time and therefore has a significant interest in safety. The association works hard to find ways to enhance safety and minimize accidents. This effort would be impossible without the support and dedication of law enforcement. So, with shared sadness, the Utah Trucking Association has collected several thousand dollars from its membership to be donated to the families of Officer Cody Brotherson, West Valley Police Department and Trooper Eric Ellsworth, Utah Highway Patrol who tragically lost their lives while protecting the citizens of Utah.

Rick Clasby, Executive Director, Utah Trucking Association said, “We appreciate our relationship with law enforcement officials from all corners of Utah. Our members dedicate significant resources to ensure that our citizens have the food, clothing, and all other comforts of life in a timely and effective manner. This service cannot be accomplished without dedicated troopers and officers doing their job. We need as little congestion or delay as possible, we need our vehicles and properties to be free of criminal actions and most important, we need our employees and family members to arrive home safe after their responsibilities are completed. We know that we would fall short of these goals without the selfless men and women who choose to be peace officers. We also know that unfortunately, theirs is often a thankless job. We recognize that the day-to-day actions by these professionals make it possible for the trucking industry to do their jobs safely.”

Mark Droubay, Double D Distribution and current President of the Utah Trucking Association stated, “As members of the trucking industry, we felt that we had an opportunity and responsibility to give back to those families who sadly lost their sons, bothers, fathers and husbands while serving their fellow-men and woman. We have a strong appreciation for those who choose to serve as officers and who put their lives on the line day in and day out. The contributions we are offering are small in comparison to the sacrifices made by these families but we felt we needed to do something and hope this helps them moving forward.”

Numerous members of the trucking association participated in this fundraising effort including:

Brad Barney, Barney Trucking, Inc

Royal Richards, Carrier Transicold of Utah

Mark Droubay, Double D Distribution

Dave Manasco, Double D Distribution

Jayden Kemp, Geodyne Transport

Scott, Godfrey, Godfrey Trucking

Kyle Treadway, Kenworth Sales Company, Inc.

Andrew Holmes, Merrill Lynch

Steve Lindsey, Mountain West Container Services

Don Cox, Parke Cox Trucking, Inc.

Kris Mele, Pierce Oil Company

Jeff England, Pride Transport, Inc.

Chris Vernon, Progressive Reporting Agency, LLC.

Rod Thurston, R-n-M Transportation

Val and Julie Stokes, Stokes Trucking, Inc.

Brent Olsen, Thatcher Company

Marilee Robins, The Buckner Company

Tom Peck, Thomas J Peck and Sons, Inc.

Duane Bragger, Tramcor Corporation

Southern Utah Trucking Association

Dan England, C.R. England

The Utah Trucking Association is a non-profit trade organization that advocates on behalf of the trucking industry to ensure that laws, rules, regulations and governmental procedures are based on sound business practices. It supports legislation and regulation that enhances safety for the motoring public. Further, the association promotes educational programs that improve safety practices. They encourage programs that improve freight mobility and transportation efficiencies and works to ensure makes that the trucking industry is viewed as professional and critical to the Utah and national economies.